EXOD635 He used to say: … the more wives, the more witchcraft … Pirkei Avot, Perek II, mishnah 8. In ancient times, women in particular were given to occult activities. When Scripture decrees death for witchcraft, it speaks of a woman practitioner [this verse]. But this teaching has cogent meeting for our time too: When men devote themselves to women and the pleasures they afford, we can easily become slaves to them. Surrounded by "cooperative" assistants of this type, the Madame Pompadours of every age have had a little trouble performing their little "tricks -- feats of magic which have caused untold harm to all concerned.